Immediately!

Immediately!

If you read yesterday’s blog post, “Deserter!” Then you may be expecting an answer to the question posed, “What happened between the time John Mark deserted his friends in the middle their mission and when he became a gospel writer?”

I don’t know the specifics, but it was clearly something incredibly profound - maybe something on the level of Saul/Paul’s Damascus Road experience (Acts 9).

As one of only four legitimate gospel writers, John Mark, was used by God to paint a unique portrait of Jesus, His ministry, and the Passion.

With Easter Sunday fast approaching, let's focus on some of those unique elements of Mark’s gospel.

The first of those unique elements is Mark’s use of the Greek word εὐθέως (yoo-theh'-oce), which is commonly translated as “immediately,” “straightaway,” “at once,” or “first thing.” 

Here are just a few examples of some of the 40+ occurrences of εὐθέως in Mark’s gospel:

1:10 “And immediately going up from the water, he saw the heavens tearing open…”

1:18 “And immediately, having left the nets, they followed Him.”

5:30 “Immediately Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him.”

9:24 “Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe…”

9:15 “And immediately the whole crowd, having seen Him, were greatly amazed…”

Mark uses the word εὐθέως, or “immediately” approximately 42 times (if I counted correctly). That word is only used about 80 total times in the New Testament, which means that Mark (the shortest of the four gospels) uses εὐθέως more than the rest of the all the New Testament writers and books combined.

Along with Mark’s ominous undercurrent of immediacy driving, propelling, pushing, compelling, and urging Jesus ever forward to the Cross - there is also a strong emphasis on geography and geographic markers.

Mark uses geography to show Jesus’ steady and continual push closer and closer toward Jerusalem and Calvary, which is where Christ was crucified.

Yesterday I posed a question - to which I do not have an explicit answer.

Today I’m posing a different question, which I’ll answer tomorrow.

Why did John Mark use the word εὐθέως, “immediately” so much in his short gospel account?

Tune in tomorrow…

Blessings,

Kevin M. Kelley

#KMKelley1968

amostunlikelydisciple.com